CLINTON, REPUBLICANS DIFFER ON DRUG STUDY

WASHINGTON (Reuters) President Clinton said Saturday he saw a "glimmer of
hope" in a new report finding a drop in illegal drug use by teens, but
Republicans said the study amounted to a "failing grade" for efforts to end
drug abuse.

"A second major survey on drug use this year has confirmed that for the
first time since 1991, our teenagers are beginning to turn away from
drugs," Clinton said in his weekly radio address.

A University of Michigan study conducted for the Department of Health and
Human Services found that drug use among eighth graders remained stable for
most drugs from 19961997, and decreased slightly for marijuana, cigarettes
and certain other substances.

For the first time in six years, the 1997 survey of drug use among
adolescents showed that daily use of marijuana among eighth graders
decreased from 1.5 percent in 1996 to 1.1 percent this year, while the
percentage of eighth graders disapproving of the drug's use rose from 76.5
to 78.1 over the same period.

"This change in attitude represents a glimmer of hope in our efforts to
protect our children from drugs," Clinton said. "But our work is far from
over."

In the Republican response, Rep. Rob Portman of Ohio warned that, "This is
not the time to take comfort in a report that confirms these unacceptable
levels."

"While it's better than last year, remember it still represents a failing
grade," Portman said. "Teenage drug abuse has more than doubled over the
past five years, and it has grown to unacceptable levels."

Portman complained that "there has been too little sustained national
leadership on the drug issue." Republicans contend that Clinton has failed
to make fighting drug abuse a top priority.

The survey of more than 50,000 eighth, 10th and 12th graders showed that
while some drug use appeared to be slowing, the number of seniors who had
used cocaine at least once rose from 7.1 percent in 1996 to 8.7 percent in
1997, the highest rates reported since 1990.

Clinton noted that drug use among all Americans had fallen by half since
1979, but had been rising among teenagers in recent years.

Saying the "most effective strategy we have against drugs begins at home,"
Clinton urged "all parents to sit down with their children ... and share a
simple and important lesson drugs are dangerous, drugs are wrong and
drugs can kill you."

Citing administration efforts to combat narcotics use, including increased
policing, expanded mandatory drug testing and an antidrug campaign on
television, radio and the Internet, Clinton said the government was doing
its part to help parents keep their children safe.

The value of the federal campaign, however, was challenged by Lynn Zimmer,
coauthor of the book "Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts."

"Drug use continues to climb among those kids who have been exposed to more
antidrug messages than any generation in American history," she said.

"I worry that antidrug media campaigns actually accomplish the opposite of
their intentions," Zimmer said.

HHS Secretary Donna Shalala told a White House briefing she was encouraged
by the apparent slowdown of illicit drug use among young people, although
she said the rates of use remained "unacceptably high."

"All of us, especially parents and teachers, need to redouble our efforts
to make young people understand that drug abuse is illegal, dangerous and
wrong," she said.

National Drug Policy Director Barry McCaffrey called the results of the
survey "a sign that we are moving in the right direction."

"If American parents, teachers, ministers and community coalitions can stay
focused, we can succeed in our goal of reducing the country's drug problem
to 2 percent of the population within the next 10 years," he said.

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